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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763375">and swallow in silence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabriphales/pseuds/gabriphales'>gabriphales</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>gomens drabble hell [118]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Good Omens (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Domestic Fluff, Fluff without Plot, M/M, No Plot/Plotless, its just me thinking abt gabe nd how hed adjust to the human world tbh, sort of???</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:20:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>789</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabriphales/pseuds/gabriphales</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>gabriel is inexperienced in all matters of the earthly world. aziraphale has to teach him a simple skill - peeling fruit. tender, plotless fluff ensues</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aziraphale/Gabriel (Good Omens), az/crow/gabe is happening in the bg prolly but crowley isnt in this fic so</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>gomens drabble hell [118]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664713</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>and swallow in silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>cant stop thinking abt all those poems abt sharing fruit with ur lover,,,,,,,,,,,, effervescent</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“aziraphale?” gabriel calls from the kitchen, his voice high and wavering, clearly concerned. aziraphale, having had too much experience with prior stove fires, and microwave misuses, both brought by gabriel’s stubborn hands, comes hurrying in at a brisk pace. even so, by the time he arrives, gabriel is no more preoccupied with something aflame than he is preoccupied with his current subject of interest: a small, round fruit. with its pale orange rind, and subtly dotted complexion, aziraphale knows what he's after before he even gets the words out.</p><p>“i can't - “ gabriel struggles, still picking at the clementine, his thumbnail catching with little luck for his efforts. “i can't get it open.”</p><p>“can you help me?” he finally settles, holding out the fruit for aziraphale to examine - as if there were something expressly <i>wrong </i>with it, shamed for the crime of natural instinct, guarding the seeds on the inside from hungry predators. of course, gabriel is no predator, and this particular brand of clementine is seedless, but <i>still. </i></p><p>aziraphale takes it in his hands, and considers simply peeling the thing raw and careless for him. keeping it casual, because what is there to be made grand of plucking the skin from a fruit, one of nature's most common occurrences for all bipedal creatures to enjoy. but then he steals a glance at gabriel's expression, hotly flushed, ashamed. <i>he can't even peel an orange on his own, </i>he must be thinking, because aziraphale knows gabriel would never remember the differences between an orange, a clementine, and a tangerine. his head is already so crowded over with heavenly reports, business that lasts thousands upon thousands of years. he’d never struggled in heaven, always the confident ambassador, effortless in all his success. but now on earth - well, things are <i>quite </i>different on earth. and gabriel is inexperienced, he still jolts at car horns, and points at animals in schoolbooks meant for children, curiosity peaking as he asks, <i>what’s that?</i></p><p>and aziraphale would be lying if he said he didn't think it was utterly <i>adorable. </i>of course, gabriel is precocious, he's picking up on things fast, as any grand head of archangels would. but there's still so much to learn, so much to <i>know </i>, where’s he going to store all that knowing, how will he bear it in such a short amount of time? at least aziraphale had had the privilege of watching this world unfold slowly, becoming what it is today. gabriel has to take it all in at once. and <i>clearly,</i> he isn't taking it fast enough for his liking. his hands fall to his hips as he watches aziraphale, brows furrowed, he almost looks . . . guilty. guilty, for pulling aziraphale out of whatever he’d been doing before, he can't quite remember, because he's so caught up in <i>gabriel. </i>gabriel, with his bright eyes, and his broad smiles, broad shoulders, so firm and tall and <i>strong,</i> yet still, needing help from aziraphale. </p><p>aziraphale smiles gently, takes gabriel’s hands in his own, and cups the clementine between them. with a thumb pressing over gabriel’s, helping it pinpoint pressure just right, starting the first prick under the fruit’s rind.</p><p>“let me show you,” he explains, encouraging gabriel to keep pushing, peeling more of the skin back. it takes a bit of fiddling, but soon, with aziraphale showing him what to do, moving gabriel’s fingers in the right direction, gabriel picks up on it quickly. eventually, scathing the whole thing fresh and unprotected, the pale orange color of peaches - rather ironically, of course.</p><p>“what do i do next?” gabriel asks him. aziraphale centers his thumb at the top of the clementine, and pushes into the hole left behind from the pedicel, and separates the fruit into halves. plucking one slice from the bunch, and pressing it to gabriel’s lips, he makes sure the sweet, slightly acidic juice spills over. gabriel’s tongue flits out to taste it - <i>he likes it. </i>aziraphale can tell, can tell from that bright, suddenly quirked look in his eyes. like he's surprised to have found enjoyment in something so base, so lowly for an angel, so <i>human. </i></p><p>“it's ripe,” aziraphale murmurs. “perfect for the season. i know you wanted to try it.”</p><p>and gabriel lets him slip it past his lips, wiping dry the slick residue left behind. he nods at the taste, a little awkward - heaven help aziraphale for essentially being his guide through everything social - but when he grabs aziraphale’s wrist, lapping at the juice on aziraphale’s thumb with one flick of his tongue . . . well, that, unintentional as it may be, has aziraphale quivering. brushing it off with a soft chuckle, and smiling again.</p><p>“well,” he coughs. “do you want more?”</p><p>and gabriel does, he eats every last bite.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i keep eating like 5 clementines in the span of two hours i dont think this is healthy</p></blockquote></div></div>
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